Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
April 10, 2013

The Barbados Landship is more than dance moves and maypoles.
“A lot of people do not know that first and foremost, the Barbados Landship is a friendly society which look after the financial plight of members and their families as well,” member Roosevelt King told Bajan Vibes.
Unemployment, pensions and Christmas bonuses are some of the benefits members of the Landship can accrue, he added. Subscription fees are $1 per week.
“Yes, we embrace the credit union, but there are some things that the credit union cannot do because of regulations, and there are even more restraints on the banks. They cannot do what the Landship can do.”
King noted the benefits of the organisation will be highlighted as part of it’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
Starting on Monday and running until Friday, the organisation is hosting an Easter Workshop at The Dock, Licorish Village, My Lord’s Hill, St. Michael for children and adults.
Former Chief Justice and patron Sir David Simmons was the featured speaker at the opening ceremony. They were introduced to the indigenous organisation through a Historical Perspective of the ship that never sailed from historian Professor Marcia Burrowes.
“This one-week workshop centralises Barbadian/Caribbean culture with respect to cultural development and education. Landship members and other specialists share in learning about the drills, the tuk band music, the maypole dance, uniforms, as well as historical, economic and socio-cultural significance that the Landship maintained as it established itself as Barbadian. This will also be a week for students and teachers to participate, and become a part of the Landship experience, all in the spirit of building identity,” Lord High Admiral Vernon Nelson said in a release.
King reported that 30 to 35 participants – mostly children, were involved in the summer camp, a number the organisation was not happy with.
He noted the Landship was on a drive to establish Landship groups in the school and were hoping for teachers, namely those in the Ministry of Education’s CHEKS programme, to show interest.
“A lot of people don’t know about the Landship. They know the dance moves, but they do not know about the landship itself and we are trying to correct that,” King said. “We understand that it was a bad time to hold the camp because a lot of schools are holding Easter classes to help the students prepare for CXCs… We are thinking about conducting a workshop which will target students who are doing examinations in the next year.”
There are currently 25 active members in the Landship.
Other Landship Activities for the milestone anniversary include presentation at the NCF Crop-Over Opening Gala, lectures, cultural presenations, a fair and an anniversary parade on October 28 on the WIBISCO grounds. (LW)